Letter to the editor: ‘For now…’ should not be good enough

I have been thinking about a young woman who I saw in Portland about a year ago, near Franklin Arterial, begging for money. I stopped briefly, as I was driving, and gave her a few dollars and had just enough time to ask her if she had children. She said “yes” and I asked her if they had health insurance and she said, “for now.”

I have thought of those words, “for now” and of her and her children sometimes. I don’t know her story. But I was concerned for her.

Why did I stop to hand her a few dollars and ask her a few questions? I don’t know. I don’t stop for everyone. I suppose I wanted to ask her some questions and I did.

Why was this woman out there begging? I want the “for now” to be better for her, for us and for America and the world. I want us to communicate more, to be more empathetic and to not assume we know each other’s story – because we don’t.

I want to see the truth come out and get to the business of moving in a more positive direction in so many ways. I am not content with “for now.” And I never will be.

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